AliExpress launches hourly delivery within London for household essentials, food and drink

AliExpress, the international online retail marketplace of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, is launching an hourly UK delivery service for household products, food, and beverages.

Beginning this month, customers in Greater London can order via the AliExpress app and get same-day delivery. The service is set to expand to other UK cities this year.

Hungry Panda, a grocer and delivery service, is the first to launch its product range on AliExpress. A curated collection of daily essentials, drinks, snacks and cupboard staples is now available for hourly delivery, including Coca-Cola, instant noodles and toilet paper. 

AliExpress has also announced that the platform is now open for local suppliers and businesses to join, supported by a streamlined onboarding process, one to one operational support and a discounted commission fee. 

For consumers, this means faster delivery on a wider selection of products, including furniture, large lighting, garden accessories, kitchen gadgets, and more. Orders shipped locally can be delivered within three days at the earliest.

“Local businesses and suppliers can connect with millions of shoppers on AliExpress and consumers can get faster shipping on a wider range of products,” says Bonnie Zhao, General Manager at AliExpress UK “This move reflects our commitment to provide upgraded service to consumers and our mission to support local businesses.”

All products marked “Local+” are delivered from local warehouses. AliExpress says that, over the past year, locally delivered orders have increased sharply, with items like bicycles, consumer electronics, portable power stations, and power tools among the top sellers.

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

On demand delivery will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.